I’d love to do it, but need to climb outta the bed first ;-)

Multiple times and great exercise. I would advise that anybody planning to ever climb it NOT to do it wearing sandals, flip flops, wellies or bloody high heels!!!

I saw too many fools injure themselves on the reek working with the Civil Defence.

Fine on the way up but bloody difficult on the way down, lots of stones just longing to trip you up.

First time I was up there was during the Gaelforce race and it nearly bloody killed me, the winners in that event can ascend it in 30 minutes and descend in 10 and thats after a 37km cycle, 17km of running and a bit of kayaking incredible athletes and mad hoor’s as well!
Anyone above not too pleased with the catholic connection be aware it was a sacred mountain for the celts long before St Pat got there!

A local climbed it every day for a year for charity, that would have burned off the calories.

If you get the veiw, makes it worth the effort.

Wish I was doing it now instead of contemplating my first lemon supreme of the day…

Climbed it a few times when I was younger. Amazing views at the top. Very sore legs the next day!

I’ve climbed it three times, once when i was 16 with my transition year class as a fundraiser, next when i was 31 with my then 7 yr old daughter and last time when i was 32 and she was 8, never did it for any religous reason, just for the challenge and the views from top…each time was on a beautiful day with clear visibility..the last time however, my daughter saw a sign with the word pilgrims and asked what it meant, i told her she could make a special prayer and it would be would be heard more because you’re making a big sacrifice doing the climb…or something like that…she nodded and said she wished her uncle wouldn’t have to emigrate to Australia.. he had announced the previous week he would definatley be going.. just a few days after we did the climb, he was offered enough work for him to be able to start up his own business…

I’ve climbed it a number of times as part of rescue teams with the Order of Malta. Good luck to my colleagues, Civil Defence, Mountain Rescue and Air Corps providing assistance on the reek today. Hope you don’t have to work took hard

I have no desire to climb it al all but my boyfriend and his sister and niece do it every year when she is home from the UK. His dad who’s now 83 did it every year from the age of 12 to 75, in the very early days he used to cycle to it from Cong, he’d climb the mountain and then cycle home again. He’s a mighty man. :))

Unbelievable view at the top on a sunny day.. My tip though is not to do it on a Sunday morning after a major session in Westport the night before…

Its a grand climb…up to the last few hundred feet of scree, both on the up and down…mind the ankles.
Hope the weather holds…I’d never do it on a crowded day…its busy enough even on ‘quiet’ days.

Am just back from it. Today was my 4th time including a climb in the dark (not the best for ware mind you…). Wouldn’t be overly religious but its always a good way to spend a Sunday.

I got as far as the car park. At least I can say I parked in the same car park St Patrick left his car in while he climbed it.

Climbed Croagh Patrick back in 2010. When climbing from the bottom you think that you are climbing the mountain: NO You think you are climbing but you aren’t near the base of the mountain. Going up the mountain is easy. Coming down is dangerous with loose rocks.

The views are breathtakingly beautiful. But I don’t think I would climb the mountain for another occasion. But I am glad I did

did it with my 10 year old son just for the beauty or it

Don’t forget your sun cream. I got absolutely scalded when I climbed it in May! It was a tough climb, but totally worth it for the views!

did in TY, a friend of mine bet i wouldnt do it barefoot…well i got as far as the shoulder then a good bit of my class were making their way back so put my shoes back on and went back down, so not the full climb at all! a couple if ppl in my year did the whole thing barefoot!

First time I climbed it was in wedge shoes that’s 40 years ago it’s not that hard when yere young the old people walked to the reek and did it in there feet now that’s hard . Well done to everyone who climbed it , God Bless You all

Did it a few weeks ago. It’s a tough enough climb, but the views are amazing. Wouldn’t do it as a part of pilgrimage on principle, but would do it again. Definitely need proper walking shoes. I did it in runners and it was agony coming back down.

Never again!!!

Think I’d rather just “climb” onto the high stool later and watch the hurling quarter finals instead, fair play to st patrick for doing the whole 40 days crack up there, bet if he knew how shitty and corrupt Ireland would end up like he wouldn’t have bothered!

am I missing something – what exactly makes it holy?

Climbing Knocknarea in Sligo is easier and you get to see 60,000 tons of stones covering Queen Maeve’s tomb. The stones were carried up by hand about 5,000 years ago.

Climbing Knocknarea in Sligo is easier and you get to see 60,000 tons of stones covering Queen Maeve’s tomb. The stones were carried up my hand about 5,000 years ago.

Amazing experience, struggled a bit on the final ascent but struggled greatly on the way down. Took me 30 minutes longer to get down than up! Worth all the aches and pains in the legs afterwards.

How long is the hike up and back?
I’d like to give it a go next year, or maybe on the summer solstice to beat the crowd.

Do you meet God at the top?

Never have done and never will merely out of principle. It’s another Irish Catholic “tradition” I don’t plan on indulging myself in…

good on you Al , been there , done that , but many years ago with a midlands unit of the OM. well worth the experience.

Never climbed it. Too late now

“This Holy Ground”……..pathetic in 2012…